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May 12, 2010
Mesa, Az. - After day one of the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships in Mesa, Az. on Wednesday (May 12), Grand Valley State is in fifth place with three days left to play. The Lakers have three golfers in the top-20, as the team totaled a 315 on the opening day, just nine strokes back of second place. All 12 teams will continue play at the 72-hole tournament on Thursday morning (May 13).
The defending runners-up, GVSU's total of 315 is good for +31, as the Lakers round out the top five schools. Defending national champion Nova Southeastern is in first place after firing a first day score of 298 (+14). The Sharks own an eight-stroke advantage of Rollins, which tallied a 306 (+22) on Wednesday. Tarleton State (311, +27) and Sonoma State (313, +29) are third and fourth, respectively.
Grand Valley State's lowest scorer was Sarah Hoffman, who is tied for 12th place. The sophomore is tied with two other golfers after an opening round 76 (+5) puts her five strokes back of Newberry's Maria Luz Besio, who leads the tournament with a 71 (E). Just one stroke back of Hoffman is senior Ashley Smith, who notched a 77 (+6) on Wednesday. Smith is in a three-way tie for 15th place. The other Laker in the top-20 is senior Caitlin Bennett, who shot a 78 (+7). Bennett is tied with eight other golfers for 18th place.
In her first national tournament, freshman Ashley Beard is tied for 56th after a first day score of 84 (+13), while junior Allie Tyler is tied for 65th with an 89 (+18).
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GVSU will tee off on Thursday in the final group, as the Lakers begin play at 8:45 a.m. PDT, with all five golfers starting in 10-minute increments from that point. The tournament, being hosted by Grand Canyon University at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, will conclude on Saturday (May 15). Last season, Grand Valley State tied its highest-ever finish with a second place showing in Findlay, Ohio.
